The Scientist and the Aftermath
by Heathermorrissexriot
Summary: Set directly after they perform The Scientist at the end of 4x04 (so spoilers about plot up to and after that point as the season progresses). A little angsty, a little fluffy I suppose. Rated M for language and probably smut if I continue to write the story.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I

"I waited you know." Brittany stopped in the hallway so abruptly Santana almost ran into her back.

"What?"

"Over 2 years I waited for you to be ready for us...for me. You don't think I can wait another year?"

"Brit—" Santana began, coming around to look at her from where she stood a few feet away.

"I'd wait two years. I'd wait two decades. Hell, I'd wait twenty decades if I could. Don't you get that?!" She spat angrily. Santana recoiled a bit, not used to Brittany being so livid.

"I just…I hate to think that you'd be missing out on the best parts of things because you'd be waiting for me." She looked off down the hall of her old High School, briefly remembering Junior Prom and Brittany missing out on the best parts of it because she had to go alone, without Santana.

"Damn it, Santana! You are the best part of anything, and it's stupid and it hurts and I know I don't understand a lot of things but I've always understood that. Why can't you?" She turned now to look Santana head on, arms in air and tears staining her cheeks.

"I—"

"No, I'm not done yet," she shoved her finger inches away from Santana's shocked face. "We just stood up there and sang about how 'nobody said it was easy' and it's so true. It hasn't been easy on us, but I didn't wait so long and through so much for you to tell me we should stop now. It hurts when I roll over on Saturday mornings and you're not there beside me, it hurts when I put on my Cheerios outfit and you're not there putting yours on too. It hurts when I'm studying for a test and the only person who would help me without looking at me like I'm mentally challenged is miles away, and it hurts in Glee club when you're not there to sing and dance with. But it would hurt infinitely more to go through all those things and not know I'd see you in a few weeks. That I'd get to kiss you and hold you and smell your hair and fold your clothes with you and hold your hand and to sing in the car with you and…and…" she stopped, breathing heavily and trying to keep her cries from becoming sobs that shook her whole body.

"I'm doing this for you, Britt." Santana said quietly through her own tears, as she pulled Brittany into a hug.

"No, you're not. You said we should do the mature thing here but this isn't mature. Adults don't give up like this; you're acting like a child. You're doing this for you, because you feel bad you found another girl attractive. It's just like you to think that something so small is such a sin." She laughed a little into Santana's hair. "Don't you remember what Ms. Holiday said that day we were in Japan?" She said pulling from the hug, but only just far enough to look Santana in the eye.

"Which part, exactly?" She knew it wasn't the part about the Softball Equipment, or about Annie DeFranco.

"About how it's not who you're attracted to that matters. It only matters who you fall in love with. And I've never been in love with anyone or anything more than you. Ever." She released the hug, stepping back a few steps.

Santana shifted her weight from foot to foot, looking at Brittany's feet and legs but never higher than her hips.

"I just… I don't want to feel like punching myself every time I look at a pretty girl in class. I feel sick to my stomach thinking about that day in the Library with that girl… She wasn't you and I…" She trailed off, shaking her head instead of finishing the sentence.

"It's okay. If it makes you feel better I thought Rachel looked really pretty tonight in the Auditorium…" She hadn't been lying, but it wasn't a sexual attraction at all. Not even an "Energy Exchange" kind of attraction.

"You thinking Manhands is attractive is supposed to make me feel better?" Santana scoffed, going into instant bitch mode.

"San, you know what I mean. See, do you feel even a little threatened by that?"

"No, of course not, I know you wouldn't go within two feet of Yentl." She rolled her eyes, more at the fact she used a name for Rachel she hadn't used since Junior year than the fact that Brittany even pretended to think the two situations were similar.

"What about Sam? Would it be the same then?"

"Trouty, seriously? You want up on them guppy lips?" Santana tried to laugh as if it was the same as when she'd said Rachel's name, but of course it wasn't. Brittany wasn't a lesbian like Santana, and even as a lesbian she couldn't deny Sam had a certain appeal.

"Yes, he's really sweet, and he's the only one who has even cared to ask how I am without you here. I even helped him win the election with Blaine." She smiled, remembering how she threw the election because she knew Blaine needed it and that Sam probably did too.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Santana let a small amount of her panic escape as she misinterpreted the smile.

"About finding him attractive? Sure. And yeah, he's fun and he's kind and he makes me laugh with his impressions but even though I feel us _exchanging energy," _ She said this with her fingers making quotations, "I don't want him. I feel that energy and I instantly feel comfortable with him. I feel that energy but it's nothing in comparison to us."

"But…he's here…with you, every day. That makes him the better choice." She sighed, realizing how true her words were only as she said them.

"No, it makes him the easier choice, you're always the better choice. I've never wanted anyone else since before I even knew I could want people the way I want you. He's a just a good friend to me. And besides, he's got it bad for this new girl."

"New girl?" Santana questioned, letting curiosity get her off topic.

"Her name is Marley, she sings almost as good as Rachel and, she wears a lot of hats." Brittany looked off towards the lockers behind Santana before shaking her head and getting back to the previous discussion. "My point is, it'd be easier for me to go off with him into the sunset while he thought about Marley and her weird number of fashionable hats but I'd rather sit and watch the sunset while I wait for you to be here to watch it with." She leaned forward and pressed the lightest peck on Santana's lips. More as reassurance of her words than anything else.

"I love you so much…" Santana whispered quietly.

"I know, San. So don't leave me all alone, okay?"

"But I have to leave tomorrow afternoon. That's the whole reason I'm doing this, I _have to leave_ and I don't want you to feel like that Asian girl in that messed up God Club."

"I'll feel like that even more if you're not my girlfriend when you leave, San. " She pouted a little and leaned in to put their foreheads together.

"What if one of us slips up?" She knew neither of them would, she knew she couldn't.

"What do you mean? Like cheats? Because I thought we already covered that we wouldn't ever do that."

"I just…I don't want you to be sad anymore, Britt. I hate the idea that it's me that's making you so sad. The way things are isn't going to work if you're going to be sad, and I'm trying to change it so you won't be sad anymore because, damn it I can't stand when you're sad. Britt, I just can't, it hurts too much." She huffed out and slumped her shoulders a little in defeat.

"Can we just go to your house and cuddle? I'll be happy if we do that." She smiled and took Santana's hand in hers.

"You'll be happy for now, but what about later?" Santana added even though she was walking with Brittany towards her car anyways.

"Then I can remember it when I'm lonely, and get excited knowing I'll get to do it again soon." She beamed at her, pecking her lips again as they walked outside the school.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

Brittany stared at Santana's bedroom ceiling while she played aimlessly with Santana's hair. She knew Santana was going to have to drop her off at home in a while, on her way out of town. She remembered the first time she had to watch Santana drive away towards college and her future; she almost cringed at the memory of her sitting on her bedroom floor. She hadn't even made it to her bed, she just slumped helplessly against her closed door and sobbed until she felt her phone vibrate 3 times in concession. She was getting a phone call.

-  
"Hey, Sweetheart." Santana's shaky voice came through from the other end, she'd obviously still been crying too.

"Hi." She said simply, sniffling.

"We've made it a total of 13 minutes. I think we got this!" Santana laughs a little, trying her best to sound light and happy. "I'm getting on the freeway but I wanted to say I love you and I'll call you the moment I get into my dorm. Okay?"

"Okay, I love you too." She hung up and stood to walk towards her bed. After laying on it she smelled Santana's perfume on her comforter, faintly but strong enough for the scent to linger for a while. She began to cry again. That seemed to be all she did for the next week, in the shower, at the dinner table, in the car, on her bed. Then school started and she cried less, but at night it'd creep up on her almost the same way sleep did shortly after.

"Britt, I should go make sure I have everything. I have to leave in an hour or so…" Santana sounded a bit lost, but she'd had that tone since they got in the car at McKinley, not knowing what they were anymore. She hated that feeling, remembering having felt it for so many years.

"I'll help." Brittany sat up first, knowing that the whole reason Santana said something was because she couldn't do anything to get herself to move from where she was curled close into Brittany's side. They both got off the bed and stared at each other for a few moments, both looking somber. They held hands as they walked the short distance across her bedroom to where her suitcase was. Brittany stood close behind Santana with her arms wrapped around her waist while she watched one article of clothing after another being placed gently into it.

"Wait, you should take that sweatshirt out and take the one you're wearing off." Brittany said as she pulled away to point at the black and white sweatshirt in the suitcase. Santana looked down to see what she was wearing that Britt wanted so bad, then she realized it wasn't what was on it, but who it was on.

"You want my Cardinals hoodie?" She smiled a little and slid it off her and handed it to Brittany.

"Just because it'll smell like you." Brittany's eyes started to water a little bit as she pressed it to her face.

"Let me have your cardigan. It's black so it'll go with everything I own and it'll smell like you."

"Okay, here." Brittany smiled a little, happy to know that Santana wanted something of hers. She was pretty sure they were still together. Officially together, officially _not_ broken up. She handed it to Santana and then slid the Cardinals sweatshirt over her head. She heard Santana's sharp inhale before she got her head all the way through. She knew she was about to start a deep sob, she always took in a bit more air than necessary when she did that. She kept her eyes closed for a short moment after getting her head out of the sweatshirt, not quite ready to see Santana crying again. Her hands reached for Santana the moment they got through the arms, even before her eyes had opened. They embraced for more than a few minutes without a word, they cried on each other's shoulders and Santana was the first to pull away.

"This is really what you want, huh?" She laughs a little, shaking her head and pulling a bit of Brittany's hair out of her face and tucking in behind her ear.

"No. But it's what I need." Without looking Santana in the eyes she leaned in and kissed her forehead and left her lips pursed against the warm skin there. She smiled a little into it and then pulled away. "Let's get you packed, you don't need to be driving in the dark all night."

They continued to pack the little bit that Santana needed to and then went downstairs to say goodbye to her parents. Brittany waited in the car, knowing it'd be better if they had the goodbye to themselves like she'd get the chance to soon. She looked through Santana's glove box aimlessly and found a few pictures of them, and she knew Santana hadn't originally planned on breaking up with her when she came to Lima. She still had a necklace they sometimes shared between them hanging from her rearview and a picture Brittany had drawn for her in Senior year was tucked into the visor of the passenger seat. She looked up when Santana opened the driver side door and smiled.

"You kept this one, out of all of them? I mean, it's not even a finished drawing, half of it isn't colored in." She gestured to the drawing in her hand.

"Well, yeah… it was from the day we went to Breadstix…when I asked if we were dating and you were so sure of it. That's what's taped on the back, the receipt." Santana looked like she would be blushing, had her tan skin allowed.

"It is, isn't it?" She turned the paper over to see that Santana had in fact been speaking truth.

"There it is, Shrimp Cocktail. That's how you told me it was a date." She laughed a little, grabbing the page from Brittany.

"What would you have done with all this stuff, had we actually broken up?" Brittany waved her hand around the car to include the various items that tied them together with the memories of each other.

"I never thought about it actually… I hadn't really thought that whole thing through that well, if you couldn't tell. I'd originally wanted to sing Mine to you because, as the lyrics say, you're the best thing that's ever been mine. And then the other day, in Breadstix, when that girl was having that panic attack and you said that was what it felt like when I left…" She paused for a moment to stop herself from crying. "I just, I couldn't stand knowing you felt that way because of something I did. So I thought maybe if we weren't together it'd fix it. You wouldn't panic anymore, but I'd already planned the song and got Mr. Shue to let me into the school and I couldn't back out because despite my intentions for singing that song changing, my feelings for you never have and you are still the best thing that's ever been mine and I thought if I let you know that when I told you we should take a break up it'd make it easier for you to understand my motives." She looked from the drawing to Brittany with a small smile on her lips. Brittany started laughing a little, putting her hands to her face and shaking her head.

"What's so funny?" Santana put the drawing down in her lap and turned her body more towards Brittany.

"For years they've always said _I_ was the stupid one." She laughed a little more and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Wait, what?"

"You're the stupid one. Well, not stupid. You're the silly one, I guess is a better way to put it. I've always known we were supposed to be together, San. Ever since I was 8 and you helped my put that Band-Aid on my knee and you kissed it better without me having to ask. And I knew it was a date because when two people love each other the way we do you can't just go out to dinner and not call it a date, not when we play footsie and look at each other that special way we always have. I knew I wanted to sing that duet with you even though you were scared and I knew I wanted it to be a love song because I've always known I loved you. You're the stupid one for taking so long to realize you loved me too, but that's okay because you came to your senses. But now you're being stupid again because you _finally_ realized you love me too and you want to throw it all away because you're afraid of losing me? You're stupid and crazy and I love you so much, Santana Lopez." Brittany takes her drawing and tucks it back into the visor and adds, "But, you're already late and you still need to drop me off so start the car and stop staring at me like that."

Santana complies with the first request but keeps staring at Brittany for a few more seconds. She can't get herself to look away, or to put the car in drive. Finally Brittany places her hand over Santana's on the gear shift between them and it brings her back from wherever she was, lost in Brittany's genius somewhere.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

It was about a three hour drive between Lima and Louisville and Santana knew she had to have music playing in order to get through it. She originally had a cord for her iPod to hook up in her car for music but she'd let her roommate borrow it the week previous and never got it back, so she opted for whatever CD's were in her six disc player. Whatever CD number two had been was on the last few seconds of its last song and Santana waited as the discs changed, she had no idea what CD's were in there since she hadn't listened to any of them since probably Junior year.

The first few strums of guitar started to fade in and she knew it was Fleetwood Mac's _Rumours. _Before she even realized it she found herself skipping to track six, "Songbird". Before their _Rumours _assignment she'd only heard Landslide and Go Your Own Way, but by the end of the week she'd listened to the album front to back at least 30 times. By the time the line, "_For you there'll be no more cryin'_" came up she was in full sobbing mode to the point where the lyrics she was trying to sing weren't coming out. She considered changing the song, or even the CD for fear she'd crash the car because she couldn't see through her tears very well. She powered through it, singing along and getting that same feeling of anticipation and fear in her stomach that she'd had the day she sang it in the choir room to Brittany. She laughed at the fact her body was recreating the butterflies even though she wasn't even in a similar situation, like her body just knew what the song had meant to her. She felt like she was 17 again, trying so hard to give it all away without actually having to say anything. The song ended and she hit the pause button, reaching for her phone in a swift movement from radio to middle console. She pressed and held the 1 on her touch screen and the phone dialed Brittany's cell phone, the first on her speed dial.

"You shouldn't be talking to me while you're driving, San." Brittany answered in a reprimanding tone.

"It's on speaker, relax." Santana lied as she put it on speaker and placed it on her dashboard.

"That's better," Brittany could hear the sound quality change and the phone tap against the dashboard as it was placed down, "where are you?"

"Maybe half an hour out of Ohio?" Santana wasn't entirely sure, which wasn't surprising seeing as until about 30 seconds before she had had too many tears in her eyes to properly read any road signs.

"Are you okay? You sound kind of like you got a cold since I saw you less than two hours ago." Brittany laughed a little wondering if it could happen that fast.

"I'm fine I just… a song came on that reminded me of you and I wanted to say thank you." She sniffled and shook her head at how stupid she must have sounded.

"What for?"

"Not letting me do the stupidest thing anyone could ever do."

"San, I don't think leaving without putting more wiper fluid in is the stupidest thing someone could do, but you're welcome anyways." She laughed and how big a deal Santana made things.

"No, Britt….letting someone like you slip from my fingers." Santana whispered as if it'd make it easier to say.

"Oh…right. You're welcome." She said slowly but sweetly. She was really glad she'd stopped her from doing that, too. They sat in silence for a few beats and listened to each other's breathing.

"Do you think there's a reason they have those holes in the tabs on soda cans?" Brittany questioned while she examined the soda in her hand.

"I heard it's to put a straw in so it doesn't float to the top and move around while you try to drink it." Santana smiled at Brittany's natural curiosity for little things like soda cans.

"No way, are you sure? Who even puts straws in soda cans, though?"

"I don't know, I guess people who know about why those holes are there?"

"I'm going to go downstairs and find one of those bendy straws and see if it actually fits." Brittany stood from her desk chair and began walking down her stairs to the kitchen.

"Britt, I'm gonna go cause my phone has kind of low battery but I'll talk to you soon."

"Aw, okay. Drive save, I love you!" Brittany practically shouted into the phone. She hadn't meant to but she was so happy she still got to say it at all.

"I love you too; let me know the verdict on the straw thing when you figure it out."

"Alright, talk to you later." Brittany had just reached the drawer she was sure the straws would be in but decided to let Santana go anyways so she could look forward to knowing about the straw. It took them both a moment to hang up, and they just listened to each other's breathing again, knowing that was enough for them sometimes. Santana hung up first, but only because she didn't want Brittany to hear the choked sob threatening its way up her throat. Her phone had only 28% battery according to the little icon in the top right corner, so it was probably better that she'd ended the call in case her car broke down or something and she needed to use it.

She pressed the 'next disc' button, not wanting to be in tears any more of her drive, and the next CD was a mix she'd made Sophomore year. Another, notably less painful, wave of nostalgia hit her. It was the good kind, the kind that made her smile. She laughed every time a new track began to play, realizing how much she'd grown in 4 short years. Most of the songs were guilty pleasure songs that her, Brittany and Quinn had all loved to scream at the top of their lungs in her car. The thought of Quinn struck something in her, and she wondered how she was doing at Yale. Quinn was crazy, but Santana had a feeling she was doing much better now that she was away from the toxicity of her past and her family. She made a mental note to give her a call or at least send her a text to see how she'd settled in. And to ask if she'd called Berry yet, she couldn't wait to tease her about her secret crush on "Gay Berry" that only Santana knew existed. She remembered her conversation with Quinn about her sexuality the summer between Junior and Senior year.

* * *

"I'm not saying you should tell everyone about it today, but I'm pretty sure you could tell everyone in Glee since we all pretty much know anyways…" Quinn said quietly, awaiting verbal abuse.

"Saying it out loud makes it a little too real for me, Q. It's not something I want to stand in front of those guys, not to mention Mr. Shue, and admit. I can't believe I'm even talking about it with you right now." She shook her head a bit in disbelief.

"Everyone already knows you and Brittany have, you know, done it. We have since Sophomore year so I don't see what the big deal is with just being honest about the fact that you like women."

"Fabray, don't even preach to me about being honest with feelings about the ladies, okay?" She snapped, walls back up full force.

"W-what is that supposed to mean?" She was taken aback by the sudden outburst targeted towards her own sexual orientation. No one had ever questioned it before, let alone brought it up.

"Look, I know we're not as close as we used to be, and even then it wasn't the closest friendship, but I know you. I can tell you've got it bad for someone whose hands are the only thing even remotely manly about them." She looked Quinn in the eyes, waiting for her response.

"Wait, Rachel? You think I have a thing for Rachel Berry?" She scoffed a little too dramatically and she immediately knew Santana had seen right through her.

"I don't think, I know. I've got top-notch Gaydar and you wants on the girl bad." She smirked, knowing she'd called her out on it successfully. Nothing pleased her more than having some leverage on Quinn.

"Just because I've gotten used to being around her without wanting to stab a pen in my thigh doesn't mean I want anything even remotely sexual to do with her, Santana. Besides, this discussion isn't about me, or even about Rachel, it's about you."

"We wouldn't even be having this discussion if you learned how to knock." Santana pointed at her, but her face grew hot as she remembered that Quinn had in fact walked in on Santana and Brittany in a very compromising position they'd gotten into as they tried to get ready for the party not more than 20 minutes previous.

"The reason this discussion is happening isn't important, the important thing is that you know we'll all accept you just the way you are, Santana. You don't need to be all bark and bite all the time, not around us, at least. I know we get at each other's throats more often than not but I'm always here for you." And with that she stood up to leave Santana's living room.

"Wait, where are you going? Didn't you come over so we could all go to the party together?" Santana stood as well, approaching Quinn.

"I'll be back by in an hour, you need to shower. You smell like sex and your hair is all over the place still." She opened the front door and then turned back abruptly. "And no more sex with her tonight, when I say an hour I _mean_ an hour. Got it?" She pointed up the stairs to where Brittany was still waiting patiently.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading and if you guys could review with constructive criticism or any ideas on where I should go with this that'd be great! I'm also no entirely sure how accurate the Spanish in this is because I've only taken Spanish 1 so bear with me on it whenever it comes up, thanks! **

**P.S. Do you guys think I should do some first person from Brittany or Santana's point of view or do you like the way it's written now? **

* * *

"It's totally for the straw, San! You were right, it fits in there perfectly." Brittany shouted into the phone when she answered Santana's incoming call.  
"Really? I wonder why no one uses it for that." Santana grunted a little as she spoke, picking up her suitcase full of clean clothes and hoisting it up onto her bed.

"Me too, I think that I'm only gonna drink soda out of the can like this now, so when people see me do it they can know too."

"That's nice of you, Britt. Can you hold on for a sec?" She didn't wait for her to respond and put her hand to the receiver. A girl with light brown hair and skin similar in tone to Santana's had knocked on the open door of Santana's dorm.

"What….no I don't think she'll be at practice today because of her leg…no…I…okay….sure, I can probably manage it…extra practice?...Seriously?...Fine…talk to you later…" Brittany heard Santana's entire end of the conversation clearly despite the hand covering the receiver. She could faintly hear the girl who must have been across the room but couldn't understand anything she said.

"Hey, I'm back."

"Who was that?" Brittany asked quietly, hearing the anger in her girlfriend's voice.

"Huh? Oh, no one important, just this girl that's one the squad with me. Apparently Laura lost her spot on the top of the pyramid because of her fall and I've been asked to take her place but I need to go to more practices now. Esto es tan estúpido que no puedo creer que tenga que tomar más tiempo para esta mierda." She shouted and dropped a book onto the floor. "MIERDA!"

"San, do you want me to go?" Brittany thought maybe her holding the phone was causing more trouble than it was worth at the time. She still couldn't understand Spanish but she knew what 'Mierda' meant and she knew Santana only spoke Spanish when she was really upset or in a place of extreme pleasure.

"What? No, of course not baby, I want to talk to you more than I want to do anything else. Don't hang up, please." Santana's voice instantly went from anger to begging.

"Okay, I won't. How was the drive?"

"It was okay, I was stuck behind some asshole that was going 10 miles under the speed limit for about a million years but other than that it was fine."

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Brittany knew Santana was in a bad mood, and she wanted to make her feel better but had trouble thinking of how to do it when she wasn't right there beside her.

"Not your fault at all, don't worry about it. Do you think I could call you later tonight after cheer practice?"

"Of course, I'll probably be up all night. I have to redo an essay for US History class so I can stay on the Cheerios. Do you have to go?"

"No, I'm staying on the phone with you, but I want to call again tonight. I'm really proud of you, by the way. I'm not sure if I told you that, but I really am." Santana smiled as she put her clothes away in the small dresser at the end of her small bed in her small dorm room.

"For what, exactly?"

"All the effort you're putting into passing this year. I wish…I should have helped you last year. I should have paid more attention to you and helped you pass. I feel like I failed you or something, Britt. I'm really sorry."

"No, don't feel bad, San! It's not your fault at all, I'm the one who didn't do any school work, not you. It's all me and I'm fixing it so don't feel bad, please." Brittany felt bad for making Santana feel bad.

"But, I mean the guys all helped Puck out, they helped him graduate. Where was I? Where were the Troubletones when you needed a few extra tests to pass. We should have been there for you, _I_ should have been there and I wasn't. And that's why we're not together now, because I wasn't there for you when you needed me." Santana inhaled sharply, willing herself not to cry, and it hadn't worked.

"Baby, its okay please don't cry. I haven't told you yet because I didn't want to get your hopes up or anything but Mr. Figgins told my parents that if I took an extra English class this first semester that I could graduate early. I'm taking Creative Writing online so I don't have to try and attend two classes at once like that one girl in Harry Potter did with that necklace because I don't think I could find one of those on such short notice." Brittany spoke with urgency, hoping to get all the words out fast enough so Santana would stop crying.

"Wait, really?" Santana stopped stacking clothing to listen more closely.

"Yep, for real! You know how sometimes they'd announce those names the day before Christmas Break on the intercom and they'd congratulate them on graduating early? That could be me, San! And then I can come and sleep under your bed in your dorm and be all secret and hidden and be there with you always."

"I'd like that a lot, Britt Britt. I'm not sure about the under my bed thing, how about _in_ it instead?" Santana smirked at the thought, and then laughed silently at how she'd get payback for Emily always having her boyfriend over.

"That sounds better, and then I could carry your books for you and open doors for you and rub your legs after cheer practice like we used to do when you were on Cheerios and I could help you study cause I know you're way smart but College is harder isn't it?"

"Yeah, Britt it's a bit harder. Speaking of harder, I need to go to Cards practice soon, so I'm gonna talk to you tonight, okay?"

"You promise?" Brittany didn't want to sound desperate but sometimes Santana said she'd call and never did and she wanted to make sure she stayed up for a good reason.

"I promise. Love you!"

"I love you, too." Brittany hung up after a few beats, knowing that Santana wouldn't do it. They'd talked on the phone enough times to know that unless Santana was doing something at that very moment or was about to be doing something at that very moment she wouldn't hang up.

"How is she?" Brittany's mom, Susan, was standing in the doorway of Brittany's room.

"She's fine. She has extra cheer practices now because she's on the top of the pyramid, and she feels bad about me having to repeat Senior year but it's not her fault and I tried to tell her that but I think she still feels bad about it anyways. I even told her about how I'm graduating early and I think it helped but she's still upset at herself, I could tell." Brittany picked at her notebook, thinking about texting Santana and telling her not to feel bad but decided against bringing it up again.

"Oh, well that is unfortunate. Her feeling sorry, not the pyramid part, that's actually quite nice. You didn't tell her you were for sure going to graduate early, right, Brittany? Because we wouldn't want to get her hopes up." Her mother sounded a little condescending as she sat on the edge of Brittany's bed.

"No, but I know I'm going to. I'm ahead in the Creative Writing class and I'm redoing my essay for US History so I'll get a passing grade on that for sure. And Sam is coming over to help me with Chemistry later tonight so I should do well on the test tomorrow. I'm really going to do it and then I can go and be with San and it'll all go back to how it was before. It'll all be okay." She looked up from her desk and spun around to look her mother in the eyes. She just saw her mom frown a little, looking sympathetic.

"Sweetie, you know it's not going to be the same as before, right? And you can't stay with Santana; she's living on campus isn't she?"

"Well, yeah, but she said I can stay in her bed!" Brittany beamed, knowing that her mom didn't mean just to sleep, but to live.

"But, you can't live there as well, that's for students only. You'll get her in trouble if you stay there more than a night or two. And you're not quite ready to live on your own so for now you're going to stay here regardless of your school situation, you know that." Her mother stood up, registering the look on Brittany's face and knowing an argument was coming.

"Mom, I'm 18, I can leave if I want to. And maybe I won't live in the dorm with her but I'm going to stay with her. I'll live somewhere close and I'll see her every day and it'll be okay." Brittany turned her chair back towards her desk, signaling that she was standing by what she'd just said. Her mom didn't argue with her, but instead just shook her head and pressed a kiss to the top of Brittany's head just above her high ponytail. She exited the room without another word, noting that after Brittany's dad got home they would have to pick the discussion back up.

* * *

Brittany waited for two hours after having finished her essay. She reread it four times, studied more for her Chemistry test and reprimanded Lord Tubbington for being home late from his poker game. Finally, at 2:37 in the morning, her phone began to vibrate on her desk.

"Wow, you're still up, huh?" Santana laughed a little bit, coughing slightly at the end of her sentence.

"Told you I would be, didn't I?" Brittany smiled at hearing Santana's voice, and at the fact she called even when she thought Brittany wouldn't be awake.

"Yes, you did. How's your essay going? Need any help?"

"Finished it a few hours ago, actually. Sam helped me with the grammar but I had everything else right this time and I typed it instead of writing it so there are no spelling mistakes."

"Oh, good thing he didn't need to help with the spelling. Trouty is dyslexic, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I think he'll be okay, he's not going to die or anything ." Brittany assured her, thinking maybe Santana was worried.

"It's not deadly, Britt. It means letters and numbers are all mixed up for him. He'll be fine." Santana laughed and coughed a little.

"What're you doing?" Brittany asked as she took off her shirt to get ready for bed.

"Smoking outside the dorms. You?" Santana knew she should have lied but she was too tired to make something else up.

"Ew, San! You know I hate how you taste when you kiss me after smoking. And I'm changing to go to bed."

"I know, but they're menthol so I'd taste minty anyways, you might actually like how I taste." Santana paused before adding, "What're you wearing to bed?" Hoping she might get some dirty talk out of her tonight. Most people wouldn't think it, but Britt could talk dirty enough to even make Santana (or Puck, even) blush.

"Nothing special, just your Cards hoodie." Brittany smirked, knowing that was exactly the answer Santana was looking for.

"Oh, really? Is that it?" She kept trying, she was just in a certain mood after cheer practice for some reason.

"Yep, just that. I'm actually going to go to bed because I have Cheerios practice before school but I really wanted to hear your voice before I went to sleep."

"Aw, fine. You're no fun!" Santana laughed and flicked the filter of her cigarette down and stomped it out.

"Will you stay up with me on the phone until I fall asleep, though?" Brittany asked quietly, settling in under her covers.

"Of course I will." She opened the doors to her building and walked up the stairs to the second floor.

"Goodnight, San. I love you." Brittany stifled a yawn and put the phone beside her ear on speaker and closed her eyes.

"Love you too, Britt Britt. Sweet dreams."

They stayed on the phone all night, both fell asleep with the phones beside them. Santana woke up to the sound of lockers slamming through the phone. Brittany had stayed on the line the whole morning, taking her into the bathroom when she got ready and in the car with her on the way to school.

"Put the phone away, Pierce! No way you're going to hold me up with only one hand." A high-pitched and unbelievably annoying voice pierced Santana's ears. She recognized it as the girl from the Left Behind Club, Kitty.

"I bet I could, have you seen these arms?" Brittany responded in her ever airy and kind voice.

"Ladies! I've got good news and bad news for you! The good news is my new line of form fitting tracksuits just came in from a small village in India and the shipping was free! The bad news is we've got to take another hour this morning for practice because you uncoordinated sissy's still can't manage to make my flawlessly choreographed routine look like it isn't being performed by a bunch of drunk elves. This means you'll all be late to your first periods."

"But, Coach, I have a test to take first hour and I'm already making it up so I can't take it at another time." Brittany walked across the locker room towards Sue.

"Well, that's tough, isn't it? Looks like you might have to repeat Senior year yet again." Sue turned to walk out the door behind her and Brittany reached a hand out to grab her shoulder.

"No, I'm not going to repeat again. I'm just not. I'm going to take that test and I'm going to do really well and then I'm going to graduate and I'm going to Louisville." She said this and she stomped her foot down slightly.

"Either Cheerios practice until 9:30 or no Cheerios at all. And don't touch me, I don't want your failure rubbing off on me, this is a brand new track suit." Sue huffed and continued her previously interrupted movement to the door.

"Britt-Britt?" She heard Santana's voice through the phone she'd had perched on her shoulder under her backpack strap.

"Oh, you're up." Brittany grabbed the phone and turned speaker off as she put it to her ear.

"Yeah, Sue's kind of loud. Are you alright?" She sat up, looking across the room to the empty bed and figured Emily had stayed at Steven's house again. _Better than here again, Jesus._ Santana thought to herself while she waited for Brittany to answer.

"I'm not sure if I should take the test or do Cheerios practice. I think Coach just said I would get kicked off if I wasn't there for practice the whole time, which isn't what I want to happen but I need to get at least a 65% on this test to keep a D in Chemistry and I can't graduate if I don't get a C in it by the end of the semester. " Brittany had begun pacing between her locker and the end of the row, weaving around girls who were trying to get ready.

"How about you go talk to your Chemistry teacher and let her know Sue gave you an ultimatum and see if you can retake it during lunch?" Santana pulled up her Cardinal's sweats over her cheer skirt, her room was freezing in the morning.

"I don't know anything about Sue giving me ult…ult…ult-tomatoes or whatever but do you think Mrs. Sawyer will let me do it during lunch?" Brittany frown as a few girls laughed at her mispronunciation.

"Oh, you have Mrs. Sawyer? You'll be fine! She _hates_ Sue, she'll totally help you out, you should probably get off the phone and hurry though cause Sue will be pissed if you're late. I love you and text me when Cheerios is over, okay?"

"Okay, thank you , San! I love you too!" She hung up and quickly rushed towards the door, but not before she heard one of the girls say some Lesbian joke that Brittany didn't even understand let alone care about. She knew Santana would have gotten it, and probably cried about it in her room while Brittany smoothed her hair out of her face. She wondered if she was out at her new school, and if people teased her about it there. She hoped not, she hated the idea of her not being there to comfort Santana if she was being teased. She'd have to ask sometime.


End file.
